NORTON, Mass. — GT Ladd has been elevated to the position of head coach for both the men’s and women’s water polo programs at Wheaton College (Mass.), it was announced today by Gavin Viano, Associate Vice President for Athletics & Strategic Programs.
Wheaton announced the addition of men’s and women’s water polo as the 22nd and 23rd varsity athletic programs at the Norton campus on August 26, 2022.
Ladd has served as the Lyons’ top Assistant Coach and interim head coach over the past year and oversaw the first-ever varsity campaign for the women’s water polo team in 2024. Under his direction, Wheaton’s women’s team competed in 13 matches, while qualifying for the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship hosted at Connecticut College. The Lyons also produced an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.
“Wheaton is excited to elevate coach GT Ladd to the head coach position for both our women’s and men’s programs, effectively immediately,” said Viano.
“Coach Ladd served as our assistant in the fall of 2023 before being elevated to interim head coach for our inaugural women’s season in the spring of 2024. He has a great track record as a coach, recruiter and mentor, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him take the reins from our inaugural head coach, Alana Burgess. We are deeply grateful to Coach Burgess for launching our program from scratch in the fall of 2022 and we’re excited for Coach Ladd to build on the legacy she began.”
Ladd possesses a wealth of coaching and playing knowledge. He served as the head coach for the Boston College men’s water polo program from 1993-99 following a four-year career as a standout player for the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1987-1991. Ladd’s effort with Eagles in 1993 was extraordinary, given that the program had just achieved varsity status seven years prior. Despite the fledgling nature of the program he was able to guide them to the Northern Division playoffs with just five upperclassmen among an 18-man roster.
While with the Minutemen, Ladd enjoyed an outstanding playing career and was part of a squad that was routinely among the top-20 programs in the nation. He was named an All-New England Region Honorable Mention selection following his senior campaign.
In addition to graduating from UMass Amherst, Ladd also earned a Masters and Doctorate degree from Boston College. Ladd also completed postdoctoral work at the Alcohol Research Center at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and serves as an Associate Professor in Psychology at Rhode Island College.
Release courtesy Wheaton College (Mass.) Athletics Communications
